Areas of employment

Care homes for older people, sometimes also called residential homes, offer 24 hour care, 7 days a week, to older people. They provide accommodation together with personal care and support, and, if needed, nursing care. Once in employment, workers in these services are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council in one of the following categories:

• Support worker
• Practitioner
• Supervisor
• Manager

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There is a huge demand for residential places for people with drug and alcohol misuse problems. These services provide accommodation together with personal care or support and, if needed, nursing care. They also offer therapeutic / treatment programmes to enable people to deal with their problems usually with the aim of improving their quality of life and those of the people around them. Residential accommodation is only one of a range of services available. The residential services include:

• detoxification services provided on a planned or crisis basis
• rehabilitation
• supported accommodation

Alcohol services also include:

• places for people who would otherwise be arrested by the police. Once in employment, workers in these services are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council in one of the following categories:

• Support worker
• Practitioner
• Supervisor
• Manager

You can begin work as a support worker without qualifications, though you will be expected to undertake a qualification whilst you are working, once you have completed a period of induction. The qualifications for workers in Care homes for people with drug and alcohol misuse problems are included in SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council) Qualifications for ‘Workers in care home service for adults’.

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These services provide accommodation together with personal care and support, and, if needed, nursing care, to people with learning disabilities. A government document, ‘The Same as You?’ emphasised that people with learning disabilities have the same rights and responsibilities as other people. It is important to ensure that everyone who wants to can take an active part in their community and have full access to general services, with specialist support services provided when needed. This may include residential provision.

Once in employment, workers in these services are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council in one of the following categories:

• Support worker
• Practitioner
• Supervisor
• Manager

You can begin work as a support worker without qualifications, though you will be expected to undertake a qualification whilst you are working, once you have completed a period of induction. The qualifications for workers in care homes for people with learning disabilities are included in SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council) Qualifications for ‘Workers in care home service for adults’.

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These services provide accommodation together with personal care and support, and if needed, nursing care, to people with mental health problems. Depending on individual need, care may be provided on a long term basis or as part of regular, planned short breaks away from home, or during a crisis. The support provided may prepare and enable people to move to a more independent way of life, for example in supported housing.

Once in employment, workers in these services are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council in one of the following categories:

• Support worker
• Practitioner
• Supervisor
• Manager

You can begin work as a support worker without qualifications, though you will be expected to undertake a qualification whilst you are working, once you have completed a period of induction. The qualifications for workers in care homes for people with mental health problems are included

Click here for a printable version of this information.

These services provide accommodation together with personal care and support, and if needed, nursing care, to people with physical and/or sensory impairment. Depending on individual need, care may be provided on a long term basis or as part of regular, planned short breaks away from home, or during a crisis. The support provided may prepare and enable people to move to a more independent way of life, for example in supported housing.

Once in employment, workers in these services are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council in one of the following categories:

• Support worker
• Practitioner
• Supervisor
• Manager

You can begin work as a support worker without qualifications, though you will be expected to undertake a qualification whilst you are working, once you have completed a period of induction. The qualifications for workers in care homes for people with physical and sensory impairment are included in SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council) Qualifications for ‘Workers in care home service for adults’.

Click here for a printable version of this information.

These services provide day care and can take place within a care home, day centre or elsewhere in the community. They provide help to people who need a whole spectrum of support, ranging from people with quite complicated needs to people who need a smaller amount of support or activity to maintain a good quality of life in the community. These services are also very helpful in providing a break to carers. The Scottish Social Services Council has only set qualifications criteria for the managers of these services, but workers at other levels will find it useful to undertake SVQ (Scottish Vocational Qualifications) or HNC (Higher National Certificate) qualifications or a range of other relevant courses and qualifications. You can begin work in this sector without prior qualifications.

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Adult placement services recruit people living in the community and approve them as adult placement carers. As an adult placement carer you take a vulnerable person into your home to live as part of the household. You provide care and support for an agreed fee. Although as an adult placement carer you are not required to undertake qualifications for registration with SSSC, it will help you in your work and improve the quality of life for those you support if you do.

To become an adult placement carer you should apply to your local authority social work section for more information.

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These services are normally provided under a statutory order or licence to people who are assessed as unable, at this time, to live independently in the community. The support provided enables people to take part in community-based programmes, and to improve links with families and communities. It also aims to reduce re-offending and to help to build safer communities. The forms of criminal justice supported accommodation include:

• 24 hour staffed hostels
• supported tenancies
• supported landlady schemes
• bed and breakfast places
• places in specialist residential projects for people with addiction or mental health problems.

Accommodation is seen as part of a package of support, supervision and/or surveillance.

People who work in these services may require a range of qualifications. Some of the work is classified as adult residential care with the categories of support worker, practitioner, supervisor and manager. This includes hostel services and specialist residential projects. Others involved in this area of work may find it useful to undertake learning and/or qualifications to improve the quality of service they provide.

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